Reversible explosive compound-engine.



PATENTED FEB. 11, 1908.

E. J. WOOLF. REVERSIBLE EXPLOSIVE COMPOUND ENGINE.

APPLIOATION FILED APR-6,1907.

ZZ (7 250054 m; w:

UNITED STATES) PATENT OFFICE.

ELLIS J. WOOLF, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO THE WOOLF VALVEGEAR COMPANY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA.

REVERSIBLE EXPLOSIVE COMPOUND-ENGINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLIs J. WOOLF, a citi zen of the United States,residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Reyersible Explosive Compound Engines; and I do hereby declare the follbwingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which itaappertains to make anduse the same.

My invention relates to explosive compound engines.

The chief feature of improvement has for its object to provide such anengine with a simple and efficient means for controlling and reversingthe same while in motion.

A minor feature of improvement enables the crank case to be utilized asa condensing and mufl'lin chamberfor the exhaust.

To'the above noted ends, my invention consists of the novel devices and'combinations of devices hereinafter described and pointed out in theclaims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein likenotations refer to like parts through the several views.

Referring to the drawings; Figure 1 is a view in vertical longitudinalsection through the entire engine in the plane of the crank shaft. Fig.2 is a detail showing the controlling and reversing valve in the sameplane as in Fig. 1, but in a different position, to-wit, the position itwould take for reversing the engine. Fig. 3 is a similar view showingthe said valve in the position it would take for stopping the engine.Fig. 4 is a detail in plan showing a portion of the high pressurecylinder joint fiange'illustrating the water injection port.

The numerals. 1 represent a pair of base castings; the numeral 2 thehigh pressure cylinder casting, and 3 the low pressure cylinder casting.The casting 3 is provided with a removable head 3". The said castings 1,2 and 3 are of such shape that, when rigidly securedtogether, theyinclose and afford suitable bearings for the crank shaft 5, and that,when connected by pipe 4, they cooperate to form a common crank casing,which, in this design, serves as a mufliing chamber 7, as will latermore fully appear. The crank shaft5 is provided with a suitable flywheel 6.

In the high pressure cylinder casting 2 is Specification'of LettersPatent.

Application filed-April 5' 1907- Serial No. 366.480.

Patented Feb. 11 1908.

mounted a high pressure piston 8 of trunk form, the trunk portion ofwhich opens to the crank case or mufflin chamber 7. The said piston 8 isconnected y a rod 9 to a crank 10 of the shaft 5. In thelow pressurecylinder 3 is mounted a low pressure piston 11 which is also of trunkform, with the trunk portion thereof opening to the crank case ormufliing chamber 7. The low pressure piston 11 is connected by a rod 12with the crank 13 on the shaft 5.

The cylinder castings 2 and 3 are ofthe proper construction to affordjoint flanges by which the said castings are rigidly connected togetherand, in these joint flanges, are registering passages or openings whichcooperate to afford the low pressure admission or connecting port 14between the two cylinders. The low pressure cylinder casting 3 is alsoof the proper form to afford a, seat for the combined controlling andreversing'valve 15, and from the said seat also extend two ports marked,respectively, 16 and 17, which are controlled by said reversing valveand lead to opposite ends of the low pressure cylinder. The said lowpressure. cylinder casting 3 is also of the proper form to afford achamber or chest 18, one wall of which forms part of the seat for thevalve 15, and is provided with a. charging port 19 therethrough controlled by said valve. The intake or explosive mixture supply valve 20is shown as fitted to the lower end of a curved pipe 21 which, at itsupper end, taps the charging valve casing 22 in which is mounted thespring seated charging valve 22. The casing 22 is screwed as a plug intothe head of the high pressure cylinder 2. The pipe 21 is provided with abranch or. T section 21 which taps the chest 18. The valve 15 isprovided with a port 15 passing therethrough,

A part of the trunk portion of the high pressure piston 8 is cut away toafford an exhaust port 23 which cooperates, under the movement of thepiston, with the connecting ort 14; at the proper time, to afford the alexhaust and to deliver the same into the crank case or muffling chamber7. This chamber 7 is tapped at 7 by a suitable exhaust pipe, not shown.The explosion cylinder is shown as fitted with an ordinary jump sparkplug 2ft.

The upper portion of the high pressure cylinder casting 2 is of theproper construction to afford a water jacket 25 surrounding I flangejoint. V

, plunger 27 the explosion cylinder. The said casting 2 is also of theproper construction to afford a pump cylinder 26 in which is mounted aspring held pump plunger 27 provided with suitable valve-equip ed supplyand delivery sections 28 and 29 or affording the forced circulation ofthe cooling water through the jacket 25. As shown, the spring held pumpbecomes subject to pressure from the explosion cylinder, through theport 30, under the control of the high pressure piston. An overflow pipe31 receives the water from the highest level in the water jacket 25, andis fitted with an air cylinder 32 above the highest level of the "water.The overflow pipe 31, at its lower end, taps through the joint flange ofthe high pressure cylinder casting, as shown best in Fig. 4, anddelivers to a water port 33 shown as formed one-half in each of thecylinder joint flanges; which water port 33 entirely surrounds theconnecting port 14 between the two cylinders and opens directly theretothrough the The flange joint, outside the water port 33, is packed, thusseparating the flanges far enough to afford a passage for the water fromthe port 33 to the port 14. The high pressure piston 8 and its crosshead 10 are lubricated through oil duct 34 the low pressure piston andits cross head pin through oil duct 35, and the crank shafts and cranksthrough oil'duct 36. 1

Operation. All the parts have now been specified. The general operationor action of the engine will now be traced, but only so far as isnecessary to render distinct the efiect of the improvements hereindisclosed and claimed. Otherwise than in respect to the improvementsherein claimed, the engine illustrated is of the same general design inpoint of principle or mode of operation as the engine disclosed andclaimed in my pending application S. N. 360,148 filed March 2nd, 1907,but, in the present instance, the two pistons are connected up to thecommon crank shaft with the high pressure piston 90 degrees in advanceof the low pressure piston, instead of 1-05 degrees as shown in my saidpending case. I connect the two pis: tons 90 degrees apart, in thepresent instance, because the engine herein shown is designed to operateas a reversing engine.

In Fig. 1 of 'the drawings, the parts are shown in the position thatthey would occupy just immediately after an explosion had taken placeand the high pressure piston was about to begin its working stroke. It,of course, follows that the low pressure piston will be making itssuction and exhaust stroke. Tracing the gases, from the point of theintake valve 20, the explosive mixture, under the outward or suctionstroke of the low pressure piston 11, will be drawn into the chest 18through the pipe section 21 and thence through the charging port 19'andthe passage 15 in the valve 15 and through the port 17 into the lower orcrank shaft end of the low pressure cylinder. During this same time, theexhaust port 23 in the high pressure piston 8 will be in position forcooperation with the connecting port 14, and t e port 16, to aiford thefinal exhaust from the oppositeor upper side of the low pressure piston11 or otherwise stated, the spent,

gases will be forced out from the. upper end of the low pressurecylinder, through the connecting ports crank case or muffling chamber 7and out throu h the pipe opening 7 a under the continue upward movementof the low pressure piston 11. This suction and exhausting action of thelow pressure piston 11 will continue, until the high pressure pistonmoves inward, under the effect of the explosion, far enough toclose theconnecting port 14; at which time, the low pressure piston will havesubstantially completed its outward stroke and the lower portion of thelow pressure cylinder will be filled with the explosive mixture whichhas been drawn therein through the intake valve 20 and the charging port19. As soon asthe high pressure piston moves inward far enough, underthe effect of the explosion, to uncover the connecting port 14 and openthe same to the explosion cylinder, the partially expanded gases will beadmitted from the high pressure cylinder, through the connected ports 14and 16, to

16, 14 and 23 and into the the outer or upper end of the low pressurecylinder; and this will occur just after the low pressure piston haspassed its upper center and is ready to begin its cooperative workinstroke.

nderthe inner or downward movement of the low pressure piston 11, theintake valve 20 closes, and the mixture in the lower part of the lowpressure cylinder will become subject to compression fromsaid piston andthereby be forced through the port 17, the passage 15 in the valve 15and through the charging ort 19 into the chest 18 and out through t epipe section 21 'into the charging valve casing 22?. until the highpressure piston has completed itsworking stroke and until the. pressureThis action continues upon the encaged explosive mixture, from the lowpressure piston 11, becomes greater 1 the ports 14 and 16, the spentases, within the high pressure cylinder w' be drawnv over into the upperend of the low pressure cylinder, by the continued displacement producedtherein under the continued downward movement of the said lowpressurecylinder, assists the suction produced by the downward movement of thelow pressure piston to force the spent gases from the high'into theouter end of'the low pressure cylinder, thus making room for the freshcharge. As soon as the high ressure piston 8- moves outward far enouglfto cover the connecting port 14, the fresh charge will be caged in theexplosion cylinder and be compressed therein; and, atthe proper instant,

e exploded, thus bringing all the parts back into the position shown inFig. 1, which was assumed as the starting position, for tracing thecycle of action.

' Directing attention now to the structure for reversing the engine, itmust be obvious from the drawings and the foregoing description, thatthe valve controls the charging ports and the low pressure ad missionports, and that, by shifting the said valve 15 from the position shownin Fig. 1

' to the position shown in Fig. 2, the deliveries through the said-portsmay be shifted to opposite sides of the low pressure piston. For.

example, with the valve 15 set in the position shown in Fig. 1, the lowpressure admission and final exhaust is through the ports 14 and 16 toand from the upper side of the low pressure piston 11, and the freshsupply of explosive mixture is through the ports 19,

15 and 17 to and from the underside of said If now the valve 15 be lowpressure piston. shifted to the position shown in Fig.2, thesedeliveries will simply be reversed or shifted to opposite sides of thelow pressure piston 11; or, otherwise stated, the low pressure admissionand final exhaust will now be through the ports 14 and 17 to and fromthe under side of the low-- pressure piston; and the fresh charge willbe throughthe orts 19, 15 and 16 to and from the upper si eof said lowpressure piston 11. shift of the valve 15 from one or the other of itstwo extreme positions is made; as, for example, from the position shownin Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2, with'the engine undermotionfthe low pressure piston will be converted intoa pump piston underthe effect of the momentum of the moving parts running in their originaldirection, thereby causing the same to draw air in through the exhaustpipe and ports into the .low pressure cylinder, on the then working orlower side of the low pressure piston, and to force the air therefrominto the high pressure cylinder where it. will become encaged; and thisaction'will continue and the pressure of the encaged air in the highpressure.

cylinder will become cumulative, until it becomes sufficient to overcomethe momentum of the -moving parts, whereupon the engine 1 willautomatically reverse, from the pressure Whenever this of saidaccumulated air, and be started thereby in the opposite direction. Allthe parts now being in position for the proper distribution of the gasesunder the new di rection of the engines motion, it will so con tinue torun. From the foregoing, it will be seen that the reverse occurs underan air cushioned action, and hence there is no violent shock or strainon any of the moving parts. Otherwise and briefly stated, this gasengine will reverse with as muchease to the parts as a steam engine.

Having regard to the regulation or control of the engine, it must beobvious, from the drawings, that the valve 15 has its port 15* sodisposed, in respect to the charging port '19, that the said port 15*may be throttled more or less, by the proper movement of said valve, orbe entirely out off from communication with the charging port 19, asshown in Fig. 3. it, of course, follows that the guantity of explosivemixture which is rawn in through the intake valve 20 and through thecharging port 19, into the charging end of the low pressure cylinder andalso the charge which is forced therefrom back through the same passagesto the'charging pipe 21, can be varied, as desired, for controlling thespeed of the engine. These throttling or regulating movements of thevalve 15 are all effected Within such a narrow range or small arc of thevalves possible movement as not to throttle the low pressure admission.port. This throttling action is equally available whether the said valve15 be set in the position shown in Fig. 1 or in the position shown inFig. 2; or, otherwise stated, the throttling action required forregulation, is available whether sa d reversing valve 15' be set to makethe englne run in one. directionor the other.

When the valve 15 is in the position shown in Fig. 3, the supply ofexplosive mixture 18 cut off and both sides ofboth pistons are throwninto communication with each other, thereby equalizing pressuresin alldirections; and the engine; will only continue to run as far as it mayunder the momentum of its moving parts.

The water injecting, devices herein disclosed are substantially the sameas those disclosed and claimed in my identified pendin application,wherein the advantages of ta ing Water from the jacket of the explosioncylinder and injecting the same into the partially expanded gases, ontheir passage through the cylinder connectin port from the high to thelow pressure cy inder, were fully'set forth. In the present case,however, the Water pump (2627) and the air reservoir 32, and the waterport 33, are so ro portioned and. located. that the water will lieinjected therethrough into the connecting port 14, not only duringthetime that the said port 14 is open to the explosion cylinder,

' the spent gases,

but also during more or less of the time that the said port 14cooperates with the'final exhaust port 23 in the high pressure pistonfor efliecting the final exhaust. It follows that more or less of thewater takes effect directly on the finally exhausting gases, after theyleave the low pressure cylinder; and hence, as a result, this finalexhaust will enter the crank case or mufliing chamber 7 at acomparatively low temperature. This presence of the said Water makes-itperfectly safe to utilize the crank case as a mufliing chamber, asherein disclosed. I

It is, of course, obvious that the introduction of water, into the spentgases, when they are exhausting into the chamber 7, will condense thesame. The cylinder connecting port 14 and the final exhaust port 23, inthe piston 8, are both of greater area than the discharge opening 7 afrom the casing chamber 7; and, hence, it follows that, under thecondensing action of the injected water on a partial vacuum will beproduc'ed and'become effective on the low pressure piston.

. What I claim is 1. An explosive compound engine pro-- vided with areversing valve controlling the low pressure admission orts, and whichvalve is movable, at will, or shifting the admission to" opposite sidesof the low pressure piston, for reversing the engine, substantially asdescribed.

2. An explosive com ound en ine provided with a reversing va vecontrolling both the charging. port and the lowpressure ad mission port,and which valve is movable, at

v will, for shifting the deliveries through said ports to opposite sidesof the low pressure piston, for reversing the engine, substantially asdescribed.

3'. An explosive corn ound' en' ine pro vided. witha reversing valvecontro ling both the charging port and the lowv pressure ad-'mission'port, and which valve is movable, at

will, forthrottling the charging port and for shifting the'deliveriesthrough said ports ,to the opposite sides of the low pressure piston,for reversing the engine, scribed.

- 4. An explosive compound engine having its high pressure pistonconnected to travel .mission port, and a reversin 'a condensing andmufliing substantially as dein advance of the cooperating low pressurepiston and controlling the low pressure advalve in said port movable, atwill, for shi ting the delivery to opposite sides of the low pressurepiston, for reversing the engine, substantially as described.

5. An explosive compound engine havin its high pressure piston connectedto trave in advance of the cooperating low pressure piston andcontrolling the low pressure adn1ission port, a charging port, and areversing valve controlling the deliveries throu h both of said portsand movable, atwill, ibr

shifting the said deliveries to opposite sides oi the low pressurepiston, for reversing the engine, substantially as described.

6. An explosive compound engine havin its high pressure piston connectedto trave in advance of the cooperating low pressure piston andcontrolling the low pressure admission port, a charging port, and avalve controlling the deliveries through both of said ports and movable,

tling the charging port and for shiftingthe at will, for throt- I saiddeliveries throu h both of said ports to ressure iston, for

oppositesides of the ow y as dereversing the engine, su stantialscribed. 7. A compound explosive en ine having means for injecting waterinto t e partially expanded gases on their passage from the high to thelow pressure cylinder and also into the spent gases when finallyexhausting from the low pressure cylinder, substantially as described. g

8. An explosive compound engine provided withan inclosed crank casereceiving the final exhaust from the low pressure cylinder, and ,whichengine is provided with means for injectingl water into the spent asesas they are ex austing into said chamer, whereby said crank casing isutilized as stantially 'as described.

in presence of two witnesses v I v I ELLIS J. WOOLF- Witnesseszi i v M.E. RONEY, i the. F. WI LLIAMSON.

chamber, sub- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature

